


Romeo and Prince Charming

by Twilight_Shadow_Songs



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman Beyond
Genre: Fluffy-ish, In the same universe as Gotham Romance, M/M, sort of angst, takes place after the trilogy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2781875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twilight_Shadow_Songs/pseuds/Twilight_Shadow_Songs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Ne'er do well and a copper can't be together. But the beginning of a romance blooms anyway.</p><p>This will end in tears, but not yet. </p><p> </p><p>I wanted to see if I could do a semi-sweet relationship thing with these two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Romeo and Prince Charming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CampionSayn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CampionSayn/gifts).



> This is planned to be a one-shot with slight romance, it takes place two years after the end of the Gotham Romance trilogy will end. There are some details regarding what I've written for the trilogy so far, as well as some continuity that will make some people smile. I can make this a multi-chapter eventually, but after the trilogy ends. For context, this would be...almost six years after OYtL. 
> 
> also, listen to The Scientist covered by Willie Nelson. That is...really the tone this will have all the way through if it becomes multi-chapter.

_‘It’s like dancing-he‘s fighting like he would do dancing’_ was the first thought, followed swiftly by a _‘Holy shit if I don’t stop him he’s going to kill them’_ First day out of Police Academy and he’d been thrust onto a reported disturbance case because Nelson Nash was the copper son of a copper. But watching this green-haired slender whirl-wind of destruction was putting some serious doubts into his head. He was moving around the broken concrete and swarm of bodies in an effing trench-coat for crying out loud! And despite that was making fools of the thirteen or so that were obviously trying to, if not kill him, make sure he didn’t recover from the beating they were trying to give him for a very long time. Nelson watched transfixed for a few more moments before shaking himself and moving to help the green-haired purple wearing Hellion.

 

Nelson grabbed the arm of one of the guys and yanked him away from the undefended back of the guy. He twisted the hand so that the tire-iron that would have been slammed against the back of the hellion’s head fell to the ground. Everyone paused and the hellion turned around to stare at his savior incredulously. Nelson shoved the tire-iron guy into the other thugs and slammed a fist into the face of someone he noticed inching towards him out of his poriferal vision. The Hellion gave a half-smirk at him before turning around and going after the guys in front of him while Nelson laid waste to the other guys. It was relatively short work with them working together, the artsy finesse of the Hellion’s movements paired with Nelson’s more brutal tactics actually complimenting each other well. 

It was a few moments after the last guy got knocked out that Nelson’s vest-radio beeped. He pressed the button while keeping an eye on the Hellion, as the guy kept an eye on him. **“Officer Nash, did you find the disturbance? Over”** Nelson watched the Hellion as he pressed the button for him to speak into the radio. “It was a group of young men attacking a lone kid, managed to apprehend the group, but the kid ran off, over” the Hellion’s eyes widened a bit at that and Nelson smirked at him. “Do I need to come in? Over” a crackled sigh and **”Go home. We got some officers near your location, they can do pick-up of your friends”** Nelson cut communications and folded his arms while regarding the other. “You have a safe place to go to?”

The green-haired guy scowled and began walking away, though was halted by Nelson’s hand yanking back his arm. He snarled and swung a fist at Nelson, who managed to block it though the impact gave him instant dead-arm. Surprising for someone so small and slight. “Stick around till I’m done talking to you” He growled at the Hellion, who rolled his head in an overly-dramatic version of rolling his eyes. “Oh of course, copper-boy. You might have helped and covered for me, but it really means nothing” Nelson frowned and increased pressure on the arm in his hand. The Hellion hissed but remained silent. Nelson twisted the arm and the Hellion bent over and twisted to try and relieve the pressure and pain. When it didn’t work he finally broke. “No! Okay?! I don’t have anywhere to stay and no-one to currently bum off of, happy?! Now let go!” 

Nelson didn’t really think about it, he let go of the Hellion’s arm and slung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. “You can bum off me. I don’t mind” The Hellion snorted but didn’t try to break out of Nelson’s grip. “As long as you’re offering, I suppose. But I’m only sticking around long enough for a shower and something to eat” Nelson chuckled, though he had no intention of letting the guy go after eating. The more the adrenaline faded the more the guy was leaning against Nelson Nash for support. He was dead on his feet. 

 

~*~

 

Nelson didn’t unstrap his gun when they got to his tiny apartment. He did remove the uniform and get into a blue shirt and jeans as his new house-guest took a shower, but the gun and belt stayed on. Nelson also put some of his old clothes out for the guy and gingerly placed the trenchcoat, green shirt, purple scarf and blue-jeans into the dirty clothes hamper. Without body heat they were already stiffening up and a ripe smell had started emanating from them when Nelson had moved them into the hamper. He hoped that the lid would help keep that smell in for a while. While the guy took a shower Nelson sat flipping through pages on a magazine, kind of enjoying the gentle quiet that came about in a place when one or more people were going about their daily lives without speaking.

“Where the fuck are my clothes?!” aand it was ruined. He had it, and it got ruined. With an annoyed sigh Nelson turned another page of the magazine. “I’m going to wash those. Just wear what I left for you there” He called and for the next little bit was more silence before the bathroom door creaked open and a damp green-haired man stepped out, looking decidedly healthier now that he was clean, though there were thick black circles under his eyes. “The shirt fits fine, but the pants are a bit big” He stated quietly, a hand keeping the pants secure as Nelson looked him over. He was right, obviously. But then again, he was shaped like a dorito and Nelson wasn’t.The broad shoulders and chest and narrow hips were striking, though. This guy probably caught the attention of a lot of girls. 

Nelson put his magazine down and got up to get a belt for the guy, motioning for him to sit down as he did so. When he came back, the green-haired man was slouched over on the couch already half asleep which was kind of worrying. Though Nelson had a feeling he knew a little of the story already, with the signature Joker tattoo half-visible on the guy’s back, peeping from the t-shirt that Nelson had leant him. Either he had crossed Joker or had pissed off some other gang on the mad-man’s behalf, either way, someone wanted him dead. Nelson nudged the guy and handed him the belt, avoiding the sleep-drunk punch thrown his way. “Relax dude. I’m not one of the people who wants you dead”

The guy twisted around to look at Nelson. “No, or I wouldn’t be on a couch. You’d have popped me in the head with your gun when I was fighting back there” Nelson had to concede a point, but he smirked. “Not my style. I would have probably snapped your neck or something. Broken your back, something like that” The guy stared at him before shaking his head. “Brutal. I like your style, copper boy” Nelson coughed. “Nelson, actually. My name is Nelson” The guy stared again before giving a half smile. “I go by J-Man”

Food wasn’t anything special. J-Man understandably wasn’t interested in the idea of ordering food, and Nelson wasn’t faulting him for caution. So they had microwave dinners on the couch with two bottles of beer by their feet. 

J-Man wolfed his food down as Nelson ate his more slowly, watching him. “Been eating on the run a lot then, huh?” J-Man sighed and wiped some gravy off the corner of his lip with his thumb, sucking it off as he stared at his tray. “That easy to tell? Yea. For maybe two months now” Nelson grimaced at that. “Exactly what did you _do_?” J-Man gave him a sharp look. “Copper wants my statement?” Nelson scowled at that and turned away. “Fine. Don’t tell me. It’s not like cops have next to no power in this fucking city anyway” J-Man hesitated, obviously considering before shaking his head. “No. I can say that I’m going to be gold if I can hold on three more days-which I can because these guys are as stupid as a half-baked pineapple cake, but it was getting tiring when I never got a break” Nelson smirked. He liked the way that was phrased, it reminded him of something he would have said in high-school. “Stay for the night then. They don’t know who I am or where I live so you should be able to get some sleep for a few hours”

J-Man chuckled bitterly and opened his beer with his teeth. “You know, this is the first time a cop was ever nice to me” He stated quietly, and Nelson looked down. “Well, glad to be the mother-fucking exception to the rule. In this case I wish I wasn’t” J-Man laughed before taking a swig of his beer. “It makes up for your lousy food, that’s for sure. I had a friend who could cook like you wouldn’t believe, but he’s getting married to his long-time boyfriend soon, heh” Nelson blinked at the sudden 180 in subject. “Ah” was all he could think to say and J-Man nodded. You know, I never thought we were good friends, but after getting dumped at around the same time by sisters and dealing together with the aftermath, I would have thought....” J-Man shook his head and began chugging the beer, the amber liquid dribbling down his cheeks and neck. 

 

Nelson snatched the bottle out of J-Man’s hands and wiped the beer off the depressed and tired guy’s face and neck as best he could. J-Man’s head just lolled and the tired eyes closed. “I’m so pathetic” he muttered. Nelson paused, not quite sure what to do. “Naw...you’re not pathetic. The fighting earlier was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. You made it look like a dance, that’s pretty awesome and _not_ pathetic” J-Man opened his eyes and looked over at Nelson, clearly rather surprised. “...Thank you” Nelson just grinned at him. J-Man looked away and got up and moved to the bathroom. Nelson heard the tap going, probably J-Man washing the beer off his face and neck. 

After a few minutes the green-haired man exited the bathroom with the beer cleaned off. He ran a hand through his long, messy forest-green hair and shifted from foot to foot. “Um...sleep, where...?” Nelson stared at him stupidly before he was up and over to the dangerously swaying J-Man, catching him up in his arms. There was a soft gasp, but no attempt to escape from Nelson’s arms. After a moment the young cop decided to chance seeing how heavy J-Man was and lifted him into his arms. J-Man was fairly heavy, but not unmanageable. The man in Nelson’s arms snorted softly. “I feel like Cinderella or something” Nelson laughed. “Or Sleeping Beauty, as you’re getting carried to bed” J-Man joined in on the laughter. 

Nelson took him the short distance to the bedroom and with one hand pulled the covers back so he could deposit his sleepy cargo into the bed. J-Man was already drifting in Nelson’s arms, but stopped him from putting the gang-member fully into the bed. “What about you?” Nelson smirked. “I won’t be sharing with you, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m going to be up a while longer and then will probably be on the couch. You need the bed more than I do, obviously” J-Man sneered at him before completely falling asleep, his hand falling gently from Nelson’s arm and onto the bed beside him. Even while asleep though, J-Man looked unhappy about something. Probably a lot of things if his talk during their meal was anything to go by. 

 

Nelson gently brushed the green hair from the worried face and tucked J-Man into the bed properly, the man sighing in his sleep and nuzzling farther into the soft warmth. Nelson watched him sleep for about a minute or two longer before turning to the clothes hamper in the corner. It was dealt with at arm’s length for Nelson to avoid getting a nose-full of J-Man’s reeking clothes.

 

~*~

 

For the first time in a very long time, J-Man woke up without banging on the door or people screaming. He rolled onto his back, blinking at the dim ceiling as he floated in a sensation of displacement, having no idea where he was. He placed a hand to his head and felt the non-gelled, soft and clean hair and suddenly he knew. The hand went from his hair to his mouth and he squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments before he opened them again, the fear of being stupid and crying over the random kindness of a stranger-and a cop to boot-passing quickly. He rolled out of the bed and staggered upright, feeling a hundred times better than he had the night before. His clothes were at the foot of the bed, folded rather clumsily but still clean and folded, and again J-Man closed his eyes tightly to ward off grateful tears. He was going to owe this man so much now, and while normally he would have felt angry indignation for owing a _cop_ , there was just hollow gratitude. 

He had had no idea where he was going to hole up for the night, and there the guy came like some sort of Prince Charming out of a fucking story-book. And people said chivalry was dead. J-Man picked up his shirt and something he hadn’t noticed fell to the bed off of it. He dropped his shirt and picked he thing up, it was a small slip of paper. 

 

 _ **‘You said you only had a couple more days before they stop riding you? you can ride them out here’**_ -N 

 

J-Man’s eyes widened slightly and he clenched the note in his fist and brought it to his forehead, sobbing a few breathless laughs out. Unfucking believable. A sign from above if he believed in that sort of thing, an act of being a true gentleman nonetheless. J-Man ran his hands through the lining of his coat and pulled out a thin, small disk wrapped in tons of waterproof plastic wrapping. It still looked fine and he sighed in relief. Mayoral candidate Oswald Copperpot would _love_ to get his hands on this and have it destroyed, but Joker had some personal beef with the bird-loving man and in three days it would be too late for Copperpot to do anything to the disk, which had his illegal dealings from the last twenty-some years on it, hence why J-Man had been running. 

Three days before “Penguin” would stop trying to kill him, and a cop was willing to protect him without knowing the story? It wasn’t the first time he’d ever had to eat humble pie. J-Man placed the disk back securely into the lining of his coat and folded it a bit better than Nelson(what a dumb name) had and picked up his pants. He could still wear the shirt the cop had given him, but the pants needed to be replaced with a pair that fit him. He folded Nelson’s pair and placed them at the foot of the bed before getting back under the covers. A few more hours of sleep was probably exactly what he needed, and he would rather ignore his stomach for a bit longer, at least until the cop came back. Going out to eat was an obvious bad idea. And he didn’t want to know if the guy had nothing but gross microwave dinners in his tiny fridge. Years of Terminal’s food had spoiled J-Man, this was true. 

J-Man drifted into a half-sleep, starting awake a few times from things he thought he had heard but were just part of dreams. His body finally decided to wake up and stay awake a half-hour before Nelson the cop came back. J-Man had been sitting on the bed and spacing out, half tempted to raid the little apartment for a radio or something to read besides Nelson’s magazine, when the door creaked open. The Jokerz member had froze before quietly slipping off the bed and peeking out the door. It was Nelson. 

J-Man had made noise on purpose to make Nash look up, the cop smiling of all things when he saw that J-Man had chosen to stick around. J-Man glanced away, a hand rubbing his other arm self-consciously at the smile. It didn’t make sense a stranger was this happy to see him. Not even the people he called friends ever looked that happy to see him. “I’m just gonna stick around two more days” He said to his feet, eyes closed. “Then you don’t have to stick your neck out for me again or worry, alright?” A hand settled on his shoulder, causing eyes to pop open and his head to shoot up. Nelson squeezed his shoulder, smiling wryly. “Alright”

J-Man actually started crying then and thumped his face into Nelson’s shoulder, the cop gaining points for not seeming to know what to do. In all honesty, besides crying, neither did J-Man.


End file.
